Carton and package



Aug. 14, 1945. c GEVAART 2,382,308

CARTON AND PACKAGE Filed April 8, 1943 INVENTOR 771500025 6. Ger/9,427

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,382,308 I CARTON AND PACKAGE Theodore C. Gevaart, Kiel, Wis.

Application April 8, 1943, Serial No. 482,261 2 Claims. (01. 229-14) This invention relates to improvements in cartons and packages. It is the primary object of the invention to provide a satisfactory carton and package for the merchandising of processed cheese which will be more economical and more desirable forthe purpose than the wooden packages now almost universally employed for the purpose.

My invention is concerned in part with materials and in part with structure. It is my objective to provide a carton which can be easily opened .by the consumer, preferably by cutting an end thereof, the carton being so designed as to be of exceptional rigidity during filling and while closed for merchandising, and being adapted to be opened without in any way impairing the protection provided by the tissue-thin film of foil or Pliofilm or the like whereby the cheese is guarded against development of mold.

.The cheese is processed at temperatures such as to maintain it melted. While still molten, it is poured into cartons for packaging. The cartons are lined with foil or Pliofilm or the like against which the surface of the cheese is molded as it hardens. Since the foil customarily used has very little tensile strength, it is essential that the foil be adequately supported by the carton against the pressure of the heavy molten cheese. Even after the cheese sets, it never becomes so hard but that it is readily deformable and even a slight tearing the foil wrapper. Accordingly, the carton must be sufficiently rigid to provide adequate support for the contents during transportation and distribution.

Since any break in the foil wrapper will allow mold to develop, it is very desirable that even in the opening of the carton the foil wrapper should not be damaged but should be left intact over the unused portion of the cheese until the contents are completely consumed.

Because of the relatively high expense of wooden boxes, numerous efforts have been made in the past to devise an acceptable carton made of other materials. Such attempts have heretofore not met with acceptance, usually for the reason that the carton, if strong enough to support the cheese during pouring and transportation, would not only be expensive but difficult to open without tearing or cutting the protective foil.

The present invention solves the problem of providing an inexpensive carton and package by employing corrugated board in a novel design in which the strength of that material is advantageously employed while providing for the ready deformation of the block of cheese may result in opening of the carton in a manner which will not break the foil wrapper. Other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following disclosure thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a carton embodying the invention as it appears with the cover open in readiness to receive the lining and cheese contents, the carton being illustrated in perspective.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the completed package resulting from the use of the carton shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section tlgrough the completed package at one end there- 0 Fig. 4 is a view on a reduced scale showing a blank suitable for the production of the carton illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a modified embodiment of the invention in which the cover is separate from the carton, the carton, box and cover being shown perspective prior to assembly.

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the package using the carton and cover of Fig. 5, portions of the wrapper. being broken away to expose the interior construction.

Fig. 7 is a detail 'view in longitudinal section fragmentarily illustrating one end of a package slightly modified from that shown in 6.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The carton material is preferably corrugated board because the construction herein contemplated is such as to provide for cutting off an entire end of the carton in the operation of opening it. The corrugated board is easily cut but provides the necessary rigidity required of a carton to satisfy the objectives of this invention. While other material may be found which will be satisfactory, corrugated board is far superior to any presently known material.

To make up the package shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the corrugated board is cut, into the blank shown in Fig. 4; which provides at I5 a bottom panel and at I6 a somewhat longer front panel. The back panel ll corresponds in dimensions to the front panel, as does also the cover panel l8 and the flap 19.

At the end of the carton which is to remain permanently closed, the bottom I5 is provided with an end panel 20 which is turned up between the front panel l6 and the back panel I! to constitute the end of the carton. The front and :back may respectively be provided with half panels 2| and 22 which are folded across the end panel 20 and glued thereto in substantially butting relation, as indicated in Fig. 1. When the cover of the carton is closed, an end panel 23 carried by the top panel I8 will be folded down exteriorly and glued to the half panels 2! and 22, to complete a three ply end for the package. The flap l9 carried by the cover panel 18 will overlie the front panel of the box to complete a two ply front for the completed package.

As already indicated, the bottom [5 is somewhat shorter than the front, back and cover panels. It is provided at 25 with a false end panel which, when folded upwardly, lies between the front and back walls l5 and l! of the box. Outside of it and preferably in spaced relation to it, as indicated in Fig. 3, the true end of the carton is formed by the end panels 26 and 21 and 28 which are respectively connected with the front, back and cover and which, in the completed box, are lapped and adhesively Joined in the construction shown in Fig. 3.

From the rigid three ply end wall thus formed, the false end 25 is spaced. It is rigidly positioned first by its connection with the bottom I5, and secondly, by a flange 30 which is turned outwardly in the top of the intervening space 3| to engage the three play end wall, as shown in Fig. 3.

Exteriorly, in addition to any other printing which may appear thereon, the blank is preferably provided with lines 32 indicating the point at which a knife out should be made to open the carton. These lines register with the space 3| between the triple ply end wall of the package and the false end 25 against which the cheese liner abuts. Obviously, the package may readily be opened by simply passing a knife through the carton in. registry with the opening 31 to completely sever the end. This will permit the false wall 25 to be swung outwardly as a door and the cheese, fully wrapped in the liner, may be withdrawn from the carton without damage to the liner. Moreover, the cheese and liner may be reinserted in the carton and the carton substantially closed by folding the false wall or door 25 back to its original position in the otherwise open end of the package.

The false wall structure provides adequate support for the liner while the molten cheese is being poured into the carton. As indicated in Fig. 1, the carton has two ply end walls throughout at the time the cheese is being poured. This is without consideration of the foil or film, which does not contribute to the strength of the package but, on the contrary, requires support. When the cheese is poured, the foil or film liner is folded above the cheese and the cover panel i8 is folded across the top, and the end panels 23 and 28 and the front cover panel 19 are glued to the box proper to complete the package.

Such a package has been found to be adequately strong to withstand all shocks and stress involved in shipment and transportation. The corrugated board, particularly in the multiple plies of thickness involved in the structure shown, is exceptionally strong and yet it is only necessary to cut the maximum of two plies at any point in order to completely sever the end of the carton in the plane of the space 3|.

The use of the spacing flange 30 is optional. By reducing the length of the front, back and top panels, to more closely correspond to the length of the bottom panel of the carton, the width of space 3| may be reduced or, if desired, may be substantially eliminated, leaving barely clearance for a knife to penetrate between the false wall 25 and the multiple ply end wall. The only reason for preferring the use of a space of the order of that indicated in Fig. 3 is to accommodate irregular movements of the cutting knife. Ob-

viously, an inexperienced housewife may not always make her out exactly in the plane indicated by the lines 32 on the exterior of the package. Any reasonable deviation from the plane so indicated will be accommodated if the space -3l is made as wide as illustrated.

Fig. 5 shows a construction very similar to that above illustrated except that the cover is separate and, instead of being adhesively secured, it depends on a wrapper adhesively secured to maintain the cover in place upon the box.

The construction of the box proper is exactly as above described and the same reference characters are applied thereto. The cover panel I80 is, however, made from a separate blank and is provided with a back panel l8l in addition to the end panels 230 and 280 and the front fiap panel Fig. 7 shows a further modification in which the sides of the box are slightly higher with reference to the contents to leave a shallow space into which the ply I82 of cover I83 is received. The cover is sufliciently large to overlie all side margins while the ply I82, laminated to the cover, fits within the side walls to hold the cover against lateral displacement. Whether the Fig. 5 construction or the Fig. 7 construction is used, the

wrapper is relied upon to hold the box and cover in assembly.

With the box lined with foil, as indicated at 33, and filled with cheese 35, the cover is placed over the box and is there held by an.external wrapper 36 on which the cutting line 320 is printed. The wrapper closes the bottom of the space 3| which, in construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, is downwardly open. The wrapper may also present a more finished appearance but, obviously, the package shown in Figs. 1 to 4 may also have an external wrapper, if desired. The wrapper is particularly illustrated in the construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 because it contributes structurally to the assembly of the package, the wrapper being wholly depended on, in this suggested organization, for holding the cover to the box proper.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes in constructional detail may be made without departing from the essence of this invention. It will further be apparent that the construction disclosed provides exceptional strength while at the same time facilitating the opening of the complete package in a manner which will assure against the scratching or breakage of the delicate foil which protects the contents. The availability of the false end 25 for temporarily closing the opened package after the multi-ply end wall thereof has been wholly severed, will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art,

I claim:

1. A cheese box of the character described comprising spaced side walls and a bottom somewhat shorter than said side walls, and means providing end walls connecting said side walls and spaced from said bottom at one end of the box, the bottom of the box at said last mentioned end thereof being provided with a false end flap extending upwardly within the box and provided with means spacing it from the end wall means at the top of the box, said box having between said last mentioned end wall means and said false end flap a downwardly opening knife-receiving compartment, substantially the entire remainder of the box gomprising an upwardly opening cheese-receiving compartment.

2. A cheese box of the character described comprising spaced end walls and an integrally connected bottom wall extending therebetween and somewhat shorter than said side walls, integral flaps closed at one end of said box between the side and bottom walls, integral flaps connected with the side walls and extending across the other end of the box in spaced relation to the bottom wall and provided with means connecting them with each other, a false end flap connected with the bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom in spaced relation to the end flaps last mentioned and provided with a spacing means in thrust bearing engagement with the flaps last mentioned adjacent the top of the box. the space between said false end flap and the end flaps last mentioned opening downwardly and the space within the box between the false end flap and the box end first mentioned comprising a cheese-receiving compartment opening upwardly.

- THEODORE C. GEVAART. 

